Life together in the limelight
by OrionFowl
Summary: Under the spotlights and in front of the adoring crowds, Kyoko and Makoto are risk chasing performers. Away from all that, the couple are something else entirely. No spoilers for Danganronpa. Commissioned by an anonymous patron.


**A/N: Snow here, with a work that was commissioned by someone that wished to remain anonymous! They requested a Naegiri AU, where they are circus performers together. The exact kind of lives they lead, I suggest you read on to find out. Enjoy, my readers!**

* * *

A piercing alarm rang through the air, awakening the inhabitents of the room. The person closest to the alarm, a young, plain looking man, shut it off. He rubbed his eyes, before looking at the clock.

"Remind me again why we have to wake up at six a.m. again?" The man asked.

"Because practice makes perfect, Makoto," A woman lying in the same bed as the man answered. "We can't depend on your luck for everything."

Makoto frowned. "I suppose you're right, Kyoko. Still, practicing feels like it's robbing the feeling of genuine danger, and the audience lives for that."

"All the audience needs is a sense of danger," Kyoko pointed out. "But I will not allow you to come to harm if I can help it."

From experience, he knew that there was no winning an argument against Kyoko. So Makoto relented, and the two of them got dressed for the day ahead.

Life as part of a traveling circus troupe meant that they never knew what the next day would be like, never staying in place for too long. So their daily routine provided a much needed sense of stability.

Kyoko had long, purple hair, intelligent violent eyes, and generally carried a sense of dignity. Makoto, in constrast, had plain brown hair, plain brown eyes, and a plain face, though he had an approachable aura.

But the world at large did not know this side of these two. Did not see the daily routine of Makoto brewing coffee for Kyoko, of Kyoko setting out their performance outfits.

Before they exited from their shared room, Makoto quickly kissed Kyoko on the lips. "Ready for another day out in the crowd?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Kyoko answered.

* * *

A few hours later, they were in the center of an stage, surrounded by cheering crowds. The two of them looked starkly different from this morning:

Makoto was now dressed in a daredevil's outfit, a bright white cape fluttering behind him, his multicolored jumpsuit sparkling, and his brown hair styled so a single spike stuck out.

Kyoko was dressed in a flattering set of purple tights, with a form-fitting purple top. Her hair was now down in braids, and she had sparkling eye shadow and was wearing black lipstick.

"Ladies and gentlemen. As always, I am your ringmaster, the magnificent Kizakura," A man dressed in a suit and top hat announced. "Introducing our central act! The fearless shooting star, Makoto, and his lovely, enigmatic assistant, Kyoko!"

For a split second, nervousness crossed Makoto's face, but out of the eyes of the crowd, Kyoko patted him on the back.

"But you didn't come here to listen to me talk. This fine crowd is here to see a show!" Kizakura ceded the stage to Kyoko and Makoto.

They practiced this very routine earlier today- they practiced it every time they had a performance.

In the center of the stage was a large cannon, aiming at a target at the other side. Makoto approached the cannon, then entered it feet first. Kyoko placed a helmet on Makoto's head, making sure to secure it tightly.

Then Kyoko took out a purple, shiny cigarette holder, putting a cigarette in it. With a lighter in one hand, Kyoko lit the cigarette, and took a drag from it.

Then she sauntered over to the other end of the cannon, aiming it at the target. With the tip of the burning cigarette, she lit the fuse.

In the time the fuse burned, Kyoko circled the stage and lit some fireworks that were also set up ahead of time. The timing was critical, but Kyoko was confident in herself.

The confidence was well founded- as Makoto was fired out of the cannon, fireworks burst into bright colors around him. Once he hit the target headfirst, he landed safely in the security net below him.

The crowd yelled and cheered for them. Makoto was still dazed, but he waved and smile at the crowd around him. Kyoko did not seem to have a similar reaction, but Makoto alone could see the almost invisible smile on her face.

Kizakura returned to the stage. "Wasn't that wonderful, folks? Would you like to see another performance from our stars?"

The loud cries of "encore, encore" answered the question pretty quickly.

"Then all I ask is for a little patient while we take a breather," Kizakura said. The circus went into an intermission period, and the stage went dark.

* * *

In the circus break room, Kizakura handed Makoto and Kyoko bottles of water.

The masks they wore in front of the crowds came off- the first thing Makoto said, in a worried voice, was, "I still don't get why you have to smoke for our act."

"Its part of my persona. I don't believe a single cigarette during a show is going to kill me." Kyoko looked at Makoto with half-lidded eyes. "Besides, a cigarette is probably safer than slamming your head into a hard surface."

"I do wear a helmet. Besides, it is kind of the central act of the entire show," Makoto pointed out, scratching his face.

"I know. I am merely teasing," Kyoko said gently.

From there they took a breather, drinking the water to get their energy back. Soon enough, it was time to get back into the limelight.

* * *

The second act was of a different nature of the first- the cannon and the fireworks had been removed from the stage, leaving Makoto and Kyoko standing by themselves in the center. However, one difference did stand out- Kyoko was now holding a giant, violet mallet. It looked comical, being held by the small woman.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Makoto, and I'm a stunt performer," Makoto said, waving at the crowd.

Kyoko bonked him on the head with the mallet. "I believe they already knew that, or they wouldn't be here."

The crown tittered at the joke, some of the audience familiar with this second act already.

"Hey, maybe someone here is new," Makoto said. "I want to _enlighten_ them on our act!"

In the background a drummer played out a rimshot, while Kyoko smacked him again. "I think all the crowd is learning is that you're not very _bright_."

"Of course I'm bright! After all, I'm the_ star_ of this entire show." Makoto declared, tapping out a little rhythm with his feet.

"If you think you are such a star, then maybe you should go flying away." With that, Kyoko took a strong swing of his hammer, nailing Makoto and sending him flying several feet into the air.

He landed on the feet, looking no worse for wear. The crowd laughed at the performance, with Kizakura laughing with them. "I hope you all enjoyed this humorous reprive. Because next, we are going to blow everyone out of their seats!"

Once again, the stage went dark. When the lights came back on, the cannon was back, pointed straight up, but no one else was there. Despite this, the fuse was already lit.

As the fuse reached the end point, it fired- and both Makoto and Kyoko came shooting out from it. Makoto's cape fluttered behind him, while smoke trailed behind Kyoko from her cigarette holder.

Once again, Makoto landed safely on his feet. A second later, Kyoko landed right into Makoto's outstretched arms.

This time, even Kyoko's practiced indifference was not enough- her cheeks were red. However, she recovered her usual stoic face as she was set down. A second fuse was set up for cannon, and Makoto climbed into it. Once again, Kyoko used her cigarette holder to light it.

"You're about to see the biggest explosion yet. And you are going to see it in ten... nine... eight..."

As Kyoko counted down, she followed the progress of the fuse.

"Five... four..." Then Kyoko abruptly stepped on the fuse, putting it out. The crowd gasped, unsure of what would happen next.

Kyoko tossed aside the cigarette holder. From her person, she procured a comically fat cigar. She stood right next to the cannon, and covered her eyes.

"...Three...two...one." The cannon fired on its own, the sparks from it lighting Kyoko's cigar. Makoto was fired so far up, that he vanished into a twinkle in the sky, and no one in the circus tent could see him anymore.

Yet, Kyoko did not seem to be the slightest bit concerned, taking a deep drag from the cigar and blowing rings of smoke into the air. A feeling of suspense blanketed the entire crowd as they awaited Makoto's return.

A safety net was set up clear on the other side of the big top, and not a minute later Makoto safely landed on it.

Grinning, Kyoko said, "I guess you were right earlier, Makoto. You really are a star."

"Give a big hand for our stellar performers!" Kizakura announced.

The crowd reacted with a standing ovation, clapping and cheering wildly. Makoto and Kyoko took a bow, as confetti and roses descended on them.

* * *

At the end of the show, they had another routine. First, they greeted the adoring audience that went down from the stand to meet them.

Among their fans were children- they all wanted their autograph. Makoto was more than happy to sign whatever his fans wanted. When a boy expressed a desire to grow up to be like him, Makoto would invariably get flustered. "I'm sure you could grow up to be someone better than me!"

Kyoko was more reserved, watching the crowd but not usually engaging with them. But even she had her weaknesses. A girl approached Kyoko and said, "You're really pretty! How do I get to be as pretty as you?"

Brushing her hair shyly, Kyoko said, "You still have a lot of growing up to do. Please enjoy your childhood while you still have it."

Still, she signed a promotional glossy photo and gave it to the girl.

Only after the audience left, did they finally get time away from the bright spotlights. They retired to their room, and began the process of winding down for the day.

In this private quarter, Kyoko admitted to herself that she didn't like just how dolled up she had to be for her assistant role. The tights and form fitting dress were acceptable. The makeup she personally found excessive. Removing it did not help endear Kyoko to the entire process.

Makoto played off the physical danger of his act earlier. Still, even with the helmet, his head still hurt slightly. That Makoto had not been seriously injured was a miracle unto itself. Once he took off the helmet, he applied on ice pack on his head.

Then there was taking off his performance outfit. Ironically enough, his jumpsuit and cape were harder to take off than Kyoko's ensemble.

This was followed by a quick shower, first Kyoko, then Makoto. Once they dressed into their nightwear, they had a short dinner. All that was left was rest for tomorrow, where the next performance was waiting for them.

"No matter how many times we perform together, I'm always relieved when it's over," Makoto said, laying in the bed with Kyoko. "It's not that I don't love what we do! We always manage to make the crowd go wild! But my heart also never calms down until the curtains close."

"I suppose that's not an unreasonable way to feel," Kyoko acknowledged. "This is how we support ourselves. I am as dedicated to our lifestyle as you are. Yet, the time we spend together here is important to me."

"I'm glad to hear that, Kyoko," Makoto said. "One day, we'll save enough money to build a live for ourselves. But maybe we'll open our own circus?"

"That does sound nice. Instead of being an assistant, I could be a ringmaster with you," Kyoko said. Only at times like this did Kyoko allow herself to dream. "As long as we stay in the limelight on our own terms."

"I'm sure we will get there!"

Not long after, the couple fell asleep. All the fancy glamour was stripped from them- they were like any other couple, living each day together.

* * *

**A/N: I do take commissions between my major works, because first and foremost I want to make my audience happy. So I hope everyone liked reading this off beat work from me! If you ever want to commission something for yourself, keep an eye out on my blog for when a chance arrives. See you next time! Please review.**


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